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Gender Roles In The Other Two, By Edith Wharton

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“The Other Two” by Edith Wharton focuses on the idea that women in the early 20th century are treated as property because of the gender roles present at the time. This is displayed in Wharton’s story through one of the main characters, Alice Waythorn, who is struggling with traditional gender roles due to her past marriages. When Alice marries her most recent husband, Mr. Waythorn, they both deal with her ex-husbands, Mr. Varick and Mr. Haskett, on a regular basis. Mr. Waythorn, Mr. Varick, and Mr. Haskett all treat Alice like a commodity instead of a person. The possession of Alice by Mr. Waythorn is present throughout the story. One of the first examples of Alice being treated like a piece of property is when Mr. Waythorn reacts to her encounter with Mr. Haskett. Mr. Waythorn looks at Alice and feels a strong sense of gratification because he remembers his constant reign over her. Edith Wharton writes, “As the thought of Haskett receded, Waythorn felt himself yielding again to the joy of possessorship” (819). This shows that Mr. Waythorn takes pleasure in controlling his wife, Alice. He admires her as an object instead of a human. …show more content…

Waythorn also makes a comment directly to Mr. Varick that implies Alice is an object that only belongs to him. When speaking with Mr. Varick, Mr. Waythorn makes a point to refer to Alice as his wife. “…but since you wish it I will give your message to—my wife” (823). Edith Wharton mentions, “He always hesitated over the possessive pronoun in addressing Haskett” (823). Mr. Waythorn explicitly makes sure to refer to Alice as his wife so that he reminds Mr. Varick that Alice belongs to him now. Mr. Waythorn makes the conscious decision to refer to her as his wife instead of Alice to attempt to boost his power even more. This strengthens the notion that Alice Waythorn is seen as an entity that requires an

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